Impacts on Early Emotional Development

For this assignment, I choose the country of El Salvador due to the recent heightened political interest in illegal immigration.  I had always thought that the majority of our illegal immigrants were from Mexico, however, according to recent data that is incorrect.  Central America, India and China make up the most of our illegal immigrants.  In this blog post, I will discuss what challenges the children and families of El Salvador face (United Nations Child Emergency Services Fund).  

El Salvador is plagued with violence and poverty.  It is the smallest country in Central America and is the most densely populated and most industrialized.  Central America consists of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.  It is the most violent country and has the highest murder rate in the world.  El Salvador had 448 rapes of minors in 2008.  In 2009 there were 241 children killed between 13-17 in the first six months of 2009.  The National Civil Police stated 273 children were injured in one year over 6 months not long ago.  There are also many violent gangs.  Many of these gangs are made up of almost 10, 000 adolescents between 16-18.  This gang violence involves killing children and family members over threats involving money these families do not have.  There are many wars between these gangs (United Nations Child Emergency Services Fund).  

Along with violence, El Salvador also has poverty and an uneducated population.  There is no sufficient water or sanitation for most families.  Four out of ten children live on less than $1.25 a day.  Almost 2 million minors between 5-17 work.  Children cannot attend school due to financial or geographic reasons.  Over 15,000 students dropped out of school in 2015 due to violence.  Many children can’t even leave their home due to violence or threats of violence (United Nations Child Emergency Services Fund).  

Being exposed to trauma can result in terror, helplessness or fear in children.  Children who suffer from child traumatic stress are those who have been exposed to one or more traumas over the course of their lives.  These children develop reactions that persist and affect their daily lives for days, months, even years after the events have ended. Traumatic reactions can include different responses dependent on the resiliency of the child.  These responses can be:  ongoing emotional distress, depressive symptoms/anxiety, behavioral changes, difficulties with self-regulation, problems relating to others or forming attachments, regression or loss of previously acquired skills, attention and academic difficulties, nightmares, difficulty sleeping and eating, and physical symptoms, such as aches and pains. Older children may use drugs or alcohol, behave in risky ways, or engage in unhealthy sexual activity (National Child Traumatic Stress Network).

Children who suffer from traumatic stress often have these types of symptoms when reminded in some way of the traumatic event. Many of us may experience reactions to stress from time to time.  However, when a child is experiencing traumatic stress, these reactions interfere with their daily life and ability to function and interact with others.  No child is immune to the effects of traumatic experiences. Even infants and toddlers can experience traumatic stress. The way that traumatic stress manifests depends on the child’s development and resiliency (National Child Traumatic Stress Network).

Without treatment, repeated childhood exposure to traumatic events can affect the brain and nervous system and increase health-risk behaviors (e.g., smoking, eating disorders, substance use, and high-risk activities). Research shows that child trauma survivors can be more likely to have long-term health problems (e.g., diabetes and heart disease) or to die at an earlier age. Traumatic stress can also lead to increased use of health and mental health services and increased involvement with the child welfare and juvenile justicesystems. Adult survivors of traumatic events may also have difficulty in establishing fulfilling relationships and maintaining employment (National Child Traumatic Stress Network).

As anti-bias educators, it is our duty to our children to be able to both recognize and know how to approach children who have experienced trauma.  We often hear the old adage “Children are resilient.  They bounce back.”  However, this is really not the case although many adults may just assume it is.  As you read in my prior paragraphs, no child is immune from trauma not matter how major or minor, and all children who suffer trauma need support and treatment so that that they do not fall victim to long term emotional and health risks. 

National Child Traumatic Stress Network. (2019). Retrieved from:  https://www.nctsn.org/what-is-child-trauma/about-child-trauma

United Nations Child Emergency Services Fund. (2019). Retrieved from:  https://www.unicef.org/where-we-work